Christian husbands are given the privilege of loving their wives in a way that no other person can ever. This privilege carries with it both the weight of responsibility and the joy of being able to see our wives bloom as we love them. It's such a joy, really.

My fellow husbands, I am writing this article to encourage you to love your wife the way God wants us to: like how Christ loved us. In Ephesians 5:25-27 we read,

"Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish."

Loving our wives should be second nature to us, next only to loving God and following the Lord Jesus Christ. We must grow in our love for them.

What only a Christian husband can do

To help you grow in your love for your wife, I have here a few things that only a Christian husband can and should do to his wife. These things are enjoyable and bless our wives.

1) Lead our wives spiritually

First off, all of us Christian husbands must realize that God has given us the responsibility to lead our wives in everything, including spiritual matters. This doesn't mean we should "lord over" our wives. Rather, we will help them in their walk with Christ.

My fellow husbands, how we love our wives motivate them to come closer to God. When we become Christ-like and treat them the way Christ wants us to treat them, they are more motivated to be godly wives and they naturally thank God for us because they feel like we are a gift rather than a burden. And what better way do we have to help our wife  grow in Christ than to love her?

2) Protect our wives from the dangers around them

Men, it's our job to protect our wives from any form of danger, especially the dangers of sin. Adam failed in this respect when he and Eve were still in the garden of Eden. He failed to protect his wife from the serpent's tempting offer. He failed there, but we should not. Christ's victory on the cross enables us to do this.

We should not be passive in our everyday affairs. We must satisfy our wives with our love and protect them so that no one would ever dare enter our marriage relationship. We must keep ourselves pure so that we ourselves will protect our wives from heartbreak.

3) Be the man she will always run to and love

Friend, do you still remember the vows you made the day you wed your wife? It's our responsibility to fulfill them - to love our wives, cherish and uphold them, protect and encourage them. To be there for them in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health, in prosperity and in poverty, in lack and in abundance, till death.

Our wives may not say it, but they long for us to stay true to our vows. They will always look to us as the man they loved and wanted to be with for the rest of their lives. They always want us to be the man they will run to, the man they will always love.

Let's honor that and love our wives the way we should: like Christ loved the church.